RMA has reviewed the Alberta Auditor General’s report on the management practices of surface water in Alberta.
On July 10, 2024, the office of the Alberta Auditor General shared the findings of their inquiry into the management practices of surface water in Alberta. RMA has developed an issue backgrounder providing more details on the report and its relevance to RMA members.
The report considered three main areas: Surface Water Management Planning, Licensing and Compliance Monitoring and Public Reporting on Surface Water. The report included the following key findings:
- Surface Water Management Planning
- No process to decide when to develop or update water conservation objectives
- No water conservation objectives in most major river basins
- Effectiveness of existing water conservation objectives unknown
- Licensing and Compliance Monitoring
- License applications approved without support for key decisions
- Licensing guidelines unclear on use of discretion
- Insufficient monitoring of licensee compliance
- Licensing guidelines unclear on use of discretion
- Public Reporting on Surface Water
- Lack of reporting on water allocation
- Water usage not publicly reported
- Water levels publicly available, but processes are deficient
Although the Premier and Minister of Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) have not responded to the report, the department’s spokesperson indicated that EPA will seriously consider the findings outlined in the report and that $18.5 million will be allocated over the next three years to review the province’s water management system and practices (around $19 million outlined in Budget 2024 towards this purpose).
For more details, view RMA’s issue backgrounder on the report.
Bezawit Lemma
Policy & Research Analyst
825.319.2280
bezawit@rmalberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com